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According to a report from the Washington Post's David Fahrenthold, who has been tracking Donald Trump's financial dealings dating back to when he began his only term as president in 2016, the ex-president's pledge to donate all of his government paychecks seems to have fallen by the wayside during the last six months he spent in office.
With great fanfare when he entered the Oval Office, Trump declared he would not take one penny of his $400,000 annual salary and would instead donate his monthly paychecks.
While the White House under Trump was very forthcoming for most of his tenure as to where the checks went, just prior to the 2020 election that Trump lost, no mention was made to whom Trump bestowed a check and now close aides are refusing to provide the info when asked.
As the report states, "Trump's White House never said where — or even if — he donated the last $220,000 of his salary, covering the final six months of 2020 and the first 20 days of 2021. Now, six months after he left office, it's not clear where Trump donated that remaining salary — or if he donated it at all. Trump had given all his previous donations to federal agencies, paying out $100,000 every quarter. But The Washington Post surveyed all major federal agencies, and none has reported receiving anything from Trump after a gift in July 2020."
According to Fahrenthold, recent questions to aides to the ex-president have first been met with a promise to get back with the information and then -- silence.
Trump's last known gift came on July 23, 2020, according to government documents. Trump gave to the Park Service again, 'to support its efforts in repairing and restoring our national monuments," according to a letter that Trump's attorney Sheri Dillon sent the Park Service along with the check," he wrote before adding, "After that gift: nothing. Or at least, nothing public. Neither Trump nor his White House announced any further donations."
"In recent weeks, The Post contacted 15 major federal departments, including the eight that Trump had given to before, plus five agencies whose leaders attend Cabinet meetings. None provided any confirmation of a gift from Trump after July 2020," Fahrenthold reported before conceding, "That is not proof that the gifts were not made, however. Some of the major departments declined to comment. And The Post did not survey every single agency or office of the federal bureaucracy — a list so long that even the government itself has trouble counting it."
However, Trump's former and current spokespeople could clear up the mystery of whether he stood by his promise until his last days in office. But they are not talking.
"The Post also contacted two different spokespeople for Trump's post-presidential office. On June 10, spokesman Jason Miller wrote back, 'Let me inquire and get back to you.' But he did not provide details, and later left Trump's office," Fahrenthold reported. "Liz Harrington replaced Miller as Trump's spokesperson. 'I will try to track this down, she wrote on July 21, when The Post asked again. Since then, Harrington has not responded to queries about the pledged donations."
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'Worst American stereotype': Unvaccinated US swimmer Michael Andrew ignites backlash after refusing to wear a mask
July 30, 2021
Although every swimmer U.S. swimmer has worn a mask while doing interviews with journalists at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee decided to allow unvaccinated swimmer Michael Andrew to not wear a mask -- even as the city of Tokyo is in a state of emergency due to COVID-19.
After finishing fifth in the men's 200-meter individual medley Friday morning, Andrew once again did not wear a mask in the mixed zone where press interviews are conducted, prompting a statement from the USOPC.
When asked why he chooses not to wear a mask, Andrew said, "For me it's pretty hard to breathe in after kind of sacrificing my body in the water, so I feel like my health is a little more tied to being able to breathe than protecting what's coming out of my mouth."
"I think it's great that there's procedures, but at the end of the day, all of us here have been under quarantine and in the same testing protocol, so there's a level of safety (that's) comfortable when we're racing," he continued.
When asked again why he is the only American not wearing a mask, he said, "No reason. I'll throw it on when I'm done here, but to speak, it's difficult, probably people can hear me."
Needless to say, Andrew's antics are not winning him many fans on Twitter.
Swimmer Michael Andrew proved the worst American stereotype when he refused to wear a mask (and refused to get vacc… https://t.co/5W3ifnCKh4— Michael J. Stern (@Michael J. Stern) 1627653671.0
Hey @SwimmerMichael way disrespect the rules and the ghost country. You can choose to not vax.. But not wearing a m… https://t.co/lVOBRB5bve— 💙 StevenSensei 💙 (@💙 StevenSensei 💙) 1627629915.0
Watching @SwimmerMichael not get a medal after refusing to wear a mask or get vaccinated was the best part of the Olympics for me.— charlotte (@charlotte) 1627633138.0
Also eff #michaelandrew he’s not vaccinated and won’t wear a mask in the interview zone. We have athletes dropping… https://t.co/Q5jveBUAoU— Denise Huxtable (@Denise Huxtable) 1627648586.0
Not only did he decline #vaccination which could not just protect him and his teammates, but now he is not followin… https://t.co/8x4pA8KnQM— Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA (@Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA) 1627644460.0
michael andrew's willful ignorance and disregard for the rules is NOT the same as someone biles' decision to pull o… https://t.co/a3GWD2R2IG— andy (@andy) 1627617768.0
Unlike the GOP, I don’t relish in rooting against Americans at the Olympics, but learning Michael Andrew is unvaxxe… https://t.co/z4Lx8gHy7r— Scott Six (@Scott Six) 1627646925.0
@USOPC_News If health and safety is your top concern, why is Michael andrew competing, and then not wearing a mask… https://t.co/QHhuPF01YQ— Michael Goldman (@Michael Goldman) 1627652914.0
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Trump fumes from the sidelines as infrastructure bill moves forward: 'Bad legislation!'
July 30, 2021
Former president Donald Trump issued a statement griping about the bipartisan infrastructure deal that appears poised to pass.
The twice-impeached one-term president bashed Republican senators such as Rob Portman (R-OH) working to negotiate the legislation, which Trump fumed would undo tax cuts passed during his administration and amounted to socialism.
"Tax increases on everyone, government run health care, more government run schools, amnesty for illegal immigrants, MASKS, and many more terrible socialist programs," Trump said in a statement. "Nancy Pelosi has said NO INFRASTRUCTURE until they get everything else. Infrastructure is just a "carrot" for a massive socialist expansion. Why are RINOs so desperate to push bad, Radical Leftist policies? And at the same time give a big win to the Democrats."
Pelosi said earlier this week that House Democrats are "rooting for the infrastructure bill to pass," but she has vowed to table it until the Senate also passes a separate $3.5 trillion spending package to fund universal pre-kindergarten, two years of free community college, clean energy requirements, reduced prescription drug prices and expanded Medicare benefits, and green cards would also be extended for some undocumented immigrants.
"This is bad legislation and politically irresponsible," Trump griped. "The Democrats will use it to show they can get anything they want from the Republicans."
Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America https://t.co/tXjJnoBbTF— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBN 🇺🇸) 1627651817.0
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